Florida grants

• We partner with local organizations that share our mission.
• We award grants to address the needs of moms, babies and families.
• Our funding supports programs in communities throughout the state.

This year the March of Dimes Florida Chapter has been very busy awarding grants to organizations that can help us reach of mission of improving the health of babies by preventing premature births, birth defects, and infant mortality. We have two separate state grant processes: Community Awards, which fund projects of $3000 or less preconception/interconception education, substance abuse, enhanced prenatal care, Stork’s Nest, and Project Alpha; and Community Grants, which are the larger grants, usually in the range of $15,000 and up.

Seventeen Community Awards were made to various groups such as hospitals, institutions, health departments, and community based organizations totaling $43,136 for this grant cycle. The awards will help fund programs in Ft. Lauderdale, Sanford, Macclenny, Bonifay, Jacksonville, Orlando, Gainesville, Maitland, Bradenton, The Villages, Plantation, and Dunnellon. These grants will focus on teen pregnancy prevention, Sudden infant death syndrome prevention, safe sleep practices, and smoking cessation education as well as post polio support education which was March of Dimes’ first mission.

State Community Grants were awarded to hospitals, educational institutions, and community based organizations as well as a federal organization to assist in the prevention of premature births and by reducing risk factors.

• Eglin Air Force Base was awarded $15,000 to fund a CenteringPregnancy® Program that will provide group prenatal care for active duty and dependent patients that often have no local support system.

• The Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions was awarded $100,000 which funds a consumer education campaign to prevent elective deliveries before 39 weeks, with a special focus on Hispanic women and fathers.

• Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition was awarded $100,000 to provide risk reduction services in a group setting for women who have already had a baby in the NICU or suffered a fetal or infant death.

• Pasco Health Department was awarded $50,000 to fund a project that will focus on the problem of drug-addicted women of childbearing age in a preconception and interconception period for women of highest risk of substance abuse during pregnancy.

• UF & Shands Jacksonville was awarded $8,395.00 to fund certification for CenteringPregnancy Program already underway – will provide services for 45 women in a group prenatal care setting.

• University of South Florida was awarded $100,000 to provide support for developing a Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative to improve the health of babies by improving outcomes on specific health indicators, including preterm birth rates. Second-year funding will expand the number of hospital sites participating in the collaborative and implementing the 39-week toolkit.

• University of South Florida was also awarded $100,000 to authorize second-year funding for the provider/hospital/payer education campaign to prevent elective deliveries before 39 weeks.

As volunteers, you can assist the March of Dimes in putting money back in your communities by encouraging organizations to apply for grants and most of all contributing to our various fundraisers that aid in prematurity prevention, birth defects, and infant mortality.